November 11, 1805, at Cape Disappointment, Washington.
Elongate, rounded in cross section, head slightly flattened; gray above, lighter below. Snout short, broad, pointed; mouth ventral, below eye; 4 long barbels near tip of snout. Length: to 12.5 ft (3.8 m). Weight: to 1,387 lbs (630 kg).
Over soft bottoms in ocean; in deep pools of large rivers.
In Pacific from Gulf of Alaska south to northern Baja California; in fresh water south only to Sacramento River, northern California.
The white sturgeon is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as endangered in Idaho and Montana. Efforts are under way by both Canadian and U.S. organizations to monitor the sturgeon population and the dams and waterways that affect its habitat.
Sturgeons are highly regarded, both commercially for their caviar and meat, and for sport.